Forest fire fighting rake



May 2, 1933. w, L, REIDER 1,907,153

FOREST FIRE FIGHTING RAKE Filed April 28, 1931 29 INVENTOR: lfieszle L Grader,

ATTORNE Yl Patented May 2, 1933 WEST-LE? Gambian, be UABRY ILLE,'PEitNsYiveNiA'I so net startzetmiaarsgat Application flied-literate, 193i. swam. ss aeal i The invention relates to rake constructions, partioularly suitable for fo'rest firefighting, although applicable toother uses as Well. It is an aim of the invention to' present a new ,5 Construction in the head mounting or means for securing the-head to the handle.

such appliances, the use is often of an emergency nature, in extremely rough 0pe'rations, involving the cutting'of brush, as 19 wellas grubbing, cutting sod, and'rakin g uses proper, The woik is carried on among heavy stumps, stubsyrocks, and other objects'whioh cannot be moved; for the operation, and these are often struck With the tool, this liability being also increased the necessity for rapid action without regard for the tool. As a re sult, there is frequent damage and breakage of prior handle connections, which it is an of my invention to minimize in-a substantial degree, The handles are often broken and this 'oannot be avoided. But it is a purpose of my invention to enable the rapid re lacement of handles with rough materials available at hand in the Woods, such assap- 325 ling's, or other rough stook,'thi's stuff requir ing no tap'e'r to fit my fer-rule, and not requiring any axial boring of the handle to receive a tang oi*="shan k ofith'e'Take head,

but enabling thesatisfactory fitting o'fa ha ndleseeurely with implements nreirordinarily have at hand in such situations. 1

f It is a further aim to resent a head fasteningwhioh will secure the head with 'unus;

ual rigidity andsecurity. Ahother'a-im is to'providea head fastening of the two pieoe type in which Certain deficiencies ofprior appliances are overcome with-resultin freedom fromliabilityof loo's'en'ess offthe head in its angular relation to the handle, and minimiz ing of liability o1oosening of theimme'diat gongettion between the ferrule andthe rake e3" i Additional advantages and featu res ofinvention reside in the e nstruction, arrangement and ombination of parts inv lved in the embodiment of th invention, ne form of which is set forth inthe accompanying deseription and shown inthe appended diavv ing, wherein I Figure l is "atop vie'vv o'f the rak Figur'eQ isaside'vieiv thereof; a 7 Figure 3 is a front'vieiv' thereo'f,

Figured is a bottom view oftheferr iile, Figure 5 is'a-n elevation/oi the inner side of one ofthe ferr u'lesection's before asset- 1613 on the rake. v Q- There is illustrated f'a ke 'v'vhih "olffpi'i'se s ahead 10: which consists simply of piece-6f 'sto'ok ste'el angle, Lsha'pedin Cross s and inipraoti'oe having fi'aifgesajbout 0 3 ch wide and -'of suitable thickness to make a 'rugg'ecl member "fo'i'fthe uses indioatd, fA two-piece ferrule. 11 isprov ided fdr' as i 'a' dro forgi'ng, preferablyof ron, steel r other malleable metal, a idedih-a vertical plane, each section including a were portion 12 o-fs'emi-c'yli-nd'rial forin terfn'inating at its forward end in-a solid jawis hav- 'ing a tra nsverse channel 14 across the 'ei side thereof, receiviiilgfsn u gly the tt fIan ge' 150i the-head 10-, the lower-flange 1'6 ofth'e head being pendant atthe ior'yvaid smear he head, and oarr yingthe sheet {steel plat-ni fomn and triangular teeth or blades 17; f ;The socket is of suitable diameter "to is- 'oei'v'e thetntri nnied c 1indrica 1feiiddf a die 18 of substantial 'siz'egtvithout reqtir the tapering. th reof. F or onefform of th device the-socket has interiorfdiiaih t'rt'if 1 one'an'd a';qua-rt'er inohes', an'd a length of 221p:

roximatelyfourinches "iivi'thin thef'sboket per-am one section is formed vi rith ilbfhe's 19' in its longitudinal edges midway of the socket, While theothe'r seo'tioiihas toffe ,Q spending lugs.'20fadapte'dto fit snugly 11a) 5 the notches respectively.- ;Thei lugs and notches are preferablyi rmeu vvith pa lll sides so that'ithen an over'sii'ed handle as "eh ga-g'ejd inthe socket ahd thejtfw'ofseotioiis has: nQt be brought entiiel'y intoel'ose abetting relationthe lugs and noteheswil-l still jre vent relative longitudinal displti'cer'nent one section with respect to the other. '"Siih movement if perifiitt ed Wald-invented placement ofthe head ef the iakejifroni its right angle relation to the'axi's of the ferifule, 7 With myio rmatibn of lug; and notphthey should be slightly curved, taming theseg nient of an are having its'oefitei adj aeiit the extreme front end of" thel'feriule; This is especially important since in replacement of I a handle, it will be necessary to spring the rear ends of the ferrule sections apart to permit insertion of the new handle. There are .alined openings through the rear parts of the ferrule to receive a bolt 21 secured by the nut 22. The bolt head is preferably countersunk in the. ferrule and the nut, may be elongated longitudinally of the handle for convenience in fastening it without awrench, its under side being transversely concave so "that it fits the curved surface of theferrule and is thereby held against accidental loosening by striking brush and other objects ordinarily. A similar opening is formed through each section ofthe ferrule in-the solid part immediately beyond the socket, and a bolt andnut engaged therethrough at 23. v

i The channel 14 is formed with a planiform bottom 24 in a plane at anangle of approximately degrees tothe axis of the socket 12. At the outer. end of the j aw 13 the side of the channel forms a heavy lip 25 while at the inner side a shoulderi 26 is formed ofaheight greater than the thickness of the flange15 of the head. The lip is curved-slightlytransversely ofthe ferrule,'that is longitudinally of the channel;11 (see Fig. 4) so that a firm contact with the head and support thereof is assured at the extreme outer partsof the lip, and for otherreasons, as will be explained. The shoulder 26' is curved so that its central part next the head is convex longitudinally of the channehresulting in a, bearing contact between the rear edge of the vhead flange 1'5 and the shoulder 26. As statedalso,

this: shoulder is initially much higher than the flange, and by reasonof the ferrulevbeing' of malleable metal, after assembly of the head and ,ferrule, the shoulder may be hammered .down to overhang and. forcibly abut the rake head and add to its security of emplacement. The aw portion over the channel is'thickened gradually at its central part upward; the channel 14 being entirely below the axis of the ferrule but the material of-the ferrule over the channel is flattened atthelateral parts, and apertured to receive rivets 27 en gaged through the top flange of the'rake head. The jaw portionis'considerably broadened to further enhance the rigidity of the head in.

7 than that of the flange 16 to which they are secured. The outer or blade portions 29' of the teeth are. eachin the form of'a truncated triangle, the edges being bevelled at the for: ward side (that is, away fromthe handle),

including the short horizontal edge on the point of the tooth. It is important to note that the side edges of the blades meet a dlstance below the edge of the flange 16, so that in cutting small brush and weeds there Wlll be no obstruction to theengagement of the stalks by the cutting edge of the blade.

In the useof this appliance it is customary to use it as a hoe, as a sod cutter, stalk chopper and brush cutter, and in firefighting in dense woods with underbrush and leaves 1t is especially useful. The angular relation of the plane of the bottom of the channel 14 to the axis of the ferrule, gives the blades the best set for effective use as involved.

In. the, use of the article als'o,.it retains a permanent rigid relation of the head to, the handle under use of extreme severity, and the'handle willbreakbefore the head can be changed in its-angular relation to the handle, by use inthe ordinary ways. Y Y

For replacement of a: handle, the nut 23 is loosened, the bolt 21'removed and the butt of the old handle removed by spreading the sec- 7 tions'of the ferrule apart. The new handle 1 9 transversely bored is then introduced between the ferrule sections and the two parts of the ferrule-brought together u on the inserted butt. The bolt 21 being inserted and the nut 22 put on, the latter is tightened until the handle is firmly clamped in the ferrule, after which the, nut 23 is also tightened. This enables the use of crudely formed handles including mere fresh-cut saplings or other rough poles. The butt may even 'be slightlly knobbedbut with filler strips at the outer part of the socket it .may still be rigidly clamped in the ferrule.v It is an advantage that'only the formation of'the transverse bore in the butt is required in the way of tool work, 195 and this bore maybe formed by means of the simplest tools,such as the scout knife, or 'gimlet, with a minimum of time. The avoidance of necessity for peculiar trimming to fit a; taperedferrule is amaterial advantage; The replacement of a broken handle is often IB-r quired; at a moment of emergency, and with my construction such replacement maybe effected without excessive delay. 3 1- In the assembly of the device the peculiar formation of the lip and shoulder-on thej aw are of peculiar advantage, andthey are also of peculiar advantagein replacement repairs similarly, as Wlllyb explained. Thus, between the extreme lateral-part of the lip and the diagonally" opposite inner shoulderlportion 26' on each section there is a much greater distance than between the lip and shoulder on a line at right anglesto the channel. Consequently, when the end orhalf socket portions of the, ferrule are separated and positioned divergently those parts .of the lip and shouL der which are to b-indagainst the headlO'are separated sufficiently to enable the head to v set loosely ther'ebetween, and whenthe ends 133 are brought together again thediagonally spaced portions are caused to bind forcibly on the head and slightly spring it. Actually the longitudinal axis of each channel portion is at an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis of the ferrule complete, and they converge toward the outer side of the channel. In replacing a handle this permits easier separation of the socket portions and more certain snug engagement of the jaw portions with the head on restoration of the socket parts to original close abutting relation. In the event that the socket is not entirely closed any lack of tight engagement may be compensated for by peeningthe lip 26 and the shoulder 25, which is a simple operation.

It will also be appreciated that the engagement of the central shoulder portion 26 with the edge of the flange 15 prevents relative longitudinal displacement of the two sections of the ferrule in cooperation with the lug and notch before referred to. v

I claim a y A firefighting tool and the like comprising a head, a ferrule having a jaw embracing the head and formed in two parts having opposed half sockets adapted to be secured together upon an interposed handle, the j aw being formed with a transverse channel receiving the head, said channel having a longitudinally concave outer side and a longitudinally convex inner side, and means to secure the two parts together upon a head and an interposed handle.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WESTLEY'L. GREIDER. 

